Chapter 169
Chapter 169
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 169
Chapter Title: The Third Night (20)
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Great Rift.
The rift between dimensions, said to have been born alongside the Abyss.
But it was known as a pitch-black space distinctly different from ordinary rifts.
Moreover, every time a Great Rift opened, otherworldly beings known as "Outer Gods" would emerge, singing of apocalypse and unleashing merciless destruction that had annihilated countless worlds.
The number of "Outer Gods" that appeared varied with each Great Rift, but each one was more than worthy of being called a "god."
Whenever Outer Gods revealed themselves, all the demons of the Abyss and the lords of powerful races would unite their strength to annihilate them.
Of course, not every Outer God had been annihilated.
Some were so overwhelmingly powerful that they could only be barely sealed away or forced back into the Great Rift.
'The reason the master of the Abyss is a demon, and why they keep the tedious task of holding racial wars to find powerful species, is all to prepare for the Great Rifts.'
That was the known story up to now.
Since the Abyss awakened, there had been eleven officially recorded Great Rifts.
However, humanity had never experienced one.
Earth was the most recently joined world to the Abyss, and before it could face one, Dragon God Sepiro had already wiped out all of humanity.
'Other than that, humanity knows nothing about the Great Rifts.'
Thus, everything was uncertain.
If Charpham was indeed an Outer God, as the Pandarian King had said, what reaction would he show upon encountering another Outer God?
Or what phenomena might it trigger?
"A hazy presence, but this feeling... no doubt about it. You... you're Baek Kyung, aren't you?"
The Outer God of Eternity showed a serious expression for the first time.
Up until now, he had only worn a face full of mischief, but since summoning Charpham, he had been gazing with a tense, slightly trembling look.
On top of that, he had uttered the name Baek Kyung.
Something even the Pandarian King didn't know.
Above all, the Outer God was addressing Charpham with a certain familiarity.
Meaning they were old acquaintances.
"……."
Charpham did not respond.
The Outer God continued as if it were no big deal.
"You've hidden yourself in a new vessel too, huh? Have you been lurking in that human's shadow to evade the 'Defiers'?"
"Do you know me?"
Charpham spoke for the first time.
Park Chan-woo quietly let their conversation play out.
'This is the perfect chance to learn about the Great Rifts and Outer Gods.'
Even in this near-death crisis, his thirst for the unknown did not waver.
One of the truths of the world that humanity had never experienced.
Perhaps the greatest and most important secret.
Park Chan-woo wouldn't miss this opportunity.
Fortunately, the meeting of the Outer Gods didn't bring about any dramatic effects.
Who knows?
Maybe a breakthrough would come from their dialogue.
"Could it be you don't recognize me? Well... I suppose you might not. We fought together, but you were the 'Gate' that served as the 'Dimensional Converger.' Or... have you forgotten who you are?"
"……."
"Hah, you really have forgotten! Your memories must have been sealed away with you. But the great Baek Kyung, sealed and stripped of his memories? Who could it be? There wasn't anyone among the 'Defiers' capable of sealing you. Their weapons were only for attacking us, not for sealing... And was there even a seal in the Abyss capable of holding Baek Kyung to begin with?"
The Outer God hurled questions endlessly.
From those near-mutterings, Park Chan-woo could infer a few things.
'The "Defiers" must be the Great Nine Lords.'
Even though it was a story he'd never heard before, it somehow interpreted naturally.
Likely thanks to the wisdom contained in the 'Radiant Sage's Stone.'
...The Outer God of Eternity knew Baek Kyung well.
Even better than Charpham himself.
However.
'He doesn't know that the Heavenly Demon sealed Charpham.'
He hadn't even grasped the fact of the sealing itself.
Moreover, from how he said Charpham might not know him, it seemed the Outer Gods within the Great Rifts didn't all know each other.
Smooth.
It was then.
The Outer God's eyes turned toward him.
"That pathetic human is your seal? He doesn't seem to have any notable power, ability, or even talent. Hmm, you asked to remove the 'Limited Time.' A predetermined death... Could it be, Baek Kyung, that you meant yourself?"
"'Limited Time' isn't me. And."
This time, Charpham looked at Park Chan-woo.
With endlessly deep and heavy eyes, like an endless abyss.
"This human's vessel is not for you to judge."
He spoke without inflection.
It was unexpected, but Charpham was sincere.
Becoming the owner of the Demon-Sealing God's Chalice already meant possessing immeasurable potential.
The name 'Heavenly Demon,' recalled because of the Pandarian King, was the same.
His overall memories were still faint... but the Heavenly Demon's talents were truly demonic.
Truly enough to rival the true master of the 'real heavens.'
It was hard to dismiss that confidence as mere bravado.
......Park Chan-woo was the same.
Despite all the status ailments, he overcame every trial with relative ease.
Hadn't he already achieved victory twice against the Moon Lord Aheta?
If Park Chan-woo had been in normal condition, Aheta would already be bankrupt.
One could say he used exploits and non-existence tricks in novel ways, but Charpham didn't see it that way.
'Park Chan-woo is the type to rampage even more in a normal state.'
This uncontrollable confidence and audacity were innate qualities of Park Chan-woo.
A pioneering spirit that could never be manufactured.
A born adventurer.
Even without the weakening from status ailments, he wouldn't have just blazed a normal path.
He would have forged his own way even harder.
Different from the Heavenly Demon.
At least the Heavenly Demon was far from a pioneer.
Arrogant and dictatorial, ignorant of the heavens' limits, possessing talents that surpassed all... yet surprisingly, the Heavenly Demon was a coward.
Contradictory, avoiding adventures.
Betting only on certainties, thus tolerating no defeat—an invincible absolute.
As Charpham continued his musings.
"......Not for me to judge? Ridiculous. There is nothing I do not know. Nothing I cannot pierce or resolve. I am the God of Eternity, the Completer of All Karmas!"
"Then why did you hide?"
Park Chan-woo, who had been listening quietly, spoke up.
"......What?"
A flicker of anger entered the Outer God's eyes.
He had reacted to the word "hide."
Park Chan-woo shrugged and said,
"Didn't you hide the moment the Great Rift opened? And you even made a deal with Aheta, holing up in this 'Temple of Death' for quite a long time to survive. If even Charpham doesn't know, you must have been a pretty pathetic Outer God."
From the Outer God's words, he had inferred several things.
That he had emerged from a Great Rift alongside Charpham.
That the Abyss's lords had feared him and hidden immediately upon his appearance.
Also, this Outer God didn't know the Heavenly Demon, nor that Charpham had been sealed.
Moreover, the other Creators were completely unaware that the Outer God of Eternity was sealed in the 'Temple of Death.'
If they knew, Park Chan-woo would have heard about it.
Demons were more loose-lipped than expected.
Especially about Outer Gods that emerged from Great Rifts and were sealed—they were well-known.
The territories where Outer Gods were sealed were all managed by the Demon Gods.
It would have been impossible unless he hid right when the Great Rift opened.
Aheta being able to seal him fit the same context.
In the first place, the Outer God of Eternity had sealed himself.
"A human who has lost all fear. Do you think I can't kill you? Even without you and those warriors' souls, this temple cannot bind me."
"Then prove it."
"Prove it?"
"The status ailment on me, 'Limited Time,' even Baek Kyung Charpham couldn't remove. If you can, it means you're superior to Charpham."
"What a childish provocation."
Rumble!
Kwarrr rumble!
Black energy surged across the Outer God's entire body.
Killing intent had taken form.
Just that alone made the entire temple tremble.
"Grrrrgh...!!"
"Aaaah...!!"
The orcs' souls couldn't withstand the pressure.
They all rolled on the floor, crying out in agony.
Even Kankun could only cling to the ground with both hands, unable to move.
It was a threat.
A warning that he could kill them whenever he wanted.
The pressure that if he truly meant to kill, they would already be gone.
"...However, I accept that provocation."
In an instant, the surging energy vanished.
The Outer God then smirked as if amused.
The provocation had worked.
'The Outer God harbors a strange inferiority complex toward Charpham.'
Listening closely to his words revealed subtle expressions of inferiority.
Hinting that there was no seal for Baek Kyung, or that Charpham might not know him.
Moreover, he couldn't contain his emotions at Charpham's single word, clearly viewing Charpham as 'above' him subconsciously.
He had poked at that inferiority.
'He never intended to grant the wish properly anyway.'
From the start, neither Aheta's wish nor his own was something the Outer God planned to fulfill properly.
Pretending to grant it, giving false hope, while acting solely for himself.
To make him sincerely remove 'Limited Time,' this was the only way.
'...At least his ability to grant wishes seems real.'
Hadn't he been reborn as the strongest lifeform?
It meant creating an entirely new species.
Though it hadn't completed growth, once it did, it would rival even the other 'Twelve Lords.'
Smooth.
The approaching Outer God of Eternity extended his hand.
At the same time.
Thud!
His body's movements stopped.
He couldn't even breathe.
Mana circulation halted too.
A complete stasis.
No, not just that.
It wasn't only Park Chan-woo who stopped.
The world itself had frozen.
Time and space.
The only thing moving was the Outer God.
"I shall grant your wish. Immediately, no less. Consider it an honor. You're the first I've fulfilled a wish for this quickly. The price... will be your soul. The moment I remove the Limited Time, I'll devour you along with Charpham."
Proceeding with the forced, immediate wish fulfillment.
The divine authority of the Outer God of Eternity.
But even he couldn't use 'immediate execution' of wishes infinitely.
It was the highest-tier authority that fulfilled wishes without any process.
At most three times.
Two of them already used in the distant past.
'Forced wish fulfillment is his last one this time.'
Thus, it was the final third.
He had avoided using it as much as possible until now.
He hadn't even immediately granted Aheta's wish, despite their aligned views.
But if the price for the third 'immediate execution' was Baek Kyung Charpham and his seal, that changed things.
"Remove the status ailment 'Limited Time.' Banish the death."
...After proving his superiority over Charpham, he would cleanly devour him.
Removing a mere status ailment.
Erasing someone's death was one of the easiest wishes.
He had fulfilled countless wishes far more miraculous.
In fact, Charpham failing to remove such a trifle would make him look ridiculous.
Soon, the Outer God's supreme authority activated.
The wish then attempted to contact and erase Park Chan-woo's status ailment, 'Limited Time.'
In that instant.
"Wh-what is this...?"
The Outer God's pupils began trembling violently.
Even more than when he met Charpham.
It wasn't just from contacting 'Limited Time.'
It was the form and concept visible and felt there.
"What in the world are you...?!"
......Even he, who called himself a god, couldn't comprehend it.
Everything and nothing.
It reduced the touching authority and wish to nothingness.
Soon after, with the form of a black reaper above Park Chan-woo, 'that thing' spoke.
【I am 'Death.'】
The true 'Death' had awakened.